


Monticello Diaries (Discontinued)

by Hubris_BNL



Series: The Adventures of Aaron Burr [6]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aaron Burr: honestly needs naps, Gen, James Madison: guided by Virginian insight, M/M, Thomas Jefferson: built like a brick wall, ain't no one gettin' past that, but also fluff, mentions of abuse, tw: abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-06-05 09:33:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6699556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hubris_BNL/pseuds/Hubris_BNL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Aaron arrives at Monticello bruised and beaten, there is no question as to where the boy is going to stay. But who knew an extra person in the Jefferson household could make life so...interesting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning Anew

**Author's Note:**

> So this is another of the tiny...ish Burr fics, he's 16 but still smol so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Just a warning, there is mentions of past abuse and future attempted abuse, not sexual but physical, but i'll note the chapters which contain that at the top so if you are sensitive to that, you can skip the chapter. This chapter DOES have mentions of abuse.

Virginia was beautiful in the summer, and James was admiring this beauty from the large armchair by the open window of Monticello. After his graduation, Thomas had decided that James should move in with him, rather than going back to his own house with his eight, screaming, younger siblings.

James was fine with this.

So he sat, nursing his tea as he read one of the books from Thomas’ insanely large library. The aforementioned Jefferson was in the kitchen making lunch and James could only pray that it wasn’t mac & cheese again.

His musings were interrupted by a series of knocks at the door. Setting his book down, he glanced towards the kitchen where Thomas hummed quietly, seemingly unaware of the noise.. So James got up, walking into the foyer and opening the large oak doors.

What he saw caught him completely off guard.

Standing on the steps of Monticello, overstuffed suitcase in hand and head down, was the newly graduated Aaron Burr. He was wearing a burgundy turtleneck, even though it was the middle of the summer and incredibly warm out. James was about to greet him when he noticed the tight hold he had on his case, his hands shaking slightly, even in the warm summer air.

Something wasn’t right.

“Aaron? What are you doing here?”

He didn’t answer, tapping the toe of his shoe against the pavement and turning his head slightly, his eyes on the ground.

“Aaron?” Now he was really worried, watching the boy’s fingers twitch against his pant leg, “Aaron, look at me.”

When the boy still didn’t look up, James knelt down, now at eye level with Aaron who, while being 16, was still incredibly short for his age. He tried to look into the boy’s face, but he kept turning away, and James finally had to take his face in his hand, gently turning it towards him.

He gasped.

Aaron pulled away, heaving his suitcase closer with two hands and looking as though he was ready to run. James caught him by the sleeve, noticing more bruises on his wrist going up into his arms.

“THOMAS!”

Aaron’s eyes shot up, panicked as he attempted to pull away, but James kept his grip. He was finally able to get a good look at his face though and felt the slow steady heat of anger tighten in his chest.

Dark bruises covered Aaron’s skin, his right eye swollen terribly and his lips torn to shreds. No doubt from Aaron biting them. The turtleneck made much more sense now and James could only imagine what the boy was attempting to hide beneath it.

From behind him, James heard Thomas approaching, and Aaron lowered his head again, looking back down at his feet, praying silently that Thomas wouldn’t see or notice anything out of the ordinary.

James felt his boyfriend come up behind him but he didn’t take his eyes off Aaron. He heard Thomas’ questioning hum before the man looked over his shoulder and saw the boy in James’ clutches. He couldn’t help the smile that etched his way onto his lips.

“Aaron! You finally decided to-”

He tapered off, noticing first Aaron’s refusal to look up and, second, the gentle but tight hold that his boyfriend had on his sweater. The sweater, Thomas thought, was strange because of the Virginia heat, but all this was pushed from his mind as  Aaron began to shake furiously.

“James, what-?”

“Maybe we should do this inside.” James suggested, pulling Aaron gently. Thomas still looked confused, but moved anyway.

“Yeah, sure.”

When they were safely inside, James closed the door quietly, gesturing for Thomas to look at Aaron. With furrowed brows, Thomas stepped forward.

“Kid?”

Aaron made no move to look at him.

“Kid, look at me.” he was firm, but his voice held a gentleness that Aaron was unused to hearing. He looked up slowly, hesitantly.

“Holy shit.”

Thomas felt his chest tighten with the same anger which had engulfed James. His eyes jumped from one bruise to another and with each swollen patch of skin he saw, his mind raged. James came up beside him and the two men stared at Aaron, both equally furious.

Aaron on the other hand, watched the two men’s faces contort in rage, and he couldn’t help twitching away, taking a tentative step away from them. That got James to blink in surprise, coming out of his wrathful haze. The boy looked terrified and James sighed.

“Aaron, we’re going to need to take a look at you, alright?”

Aaron shook his head furiously, taking another step back. His breathing was quick and sharp, hyperventilating as he tugged his sweater down lower, making sure it covered everything.

“Kid-” Thomas began, his voice low and dangerous.

James took him by the arm, turning him away from Aaron for a moment. Thomas was angry, livid and James knew that while his boyfriend was intimidating, he rarely got angry. When he did though, it was definitely a sight to see. He was much like Aaron that way, James mused, though he’d never mention the comparison to either of them, knowing that it wouldn’t be seen as anything other than an insult.

The man looked down at James, his eyes blazing. Another thing James was careful not to bring up was the relationship between the two. Behind all of Thomas’ bravado and guise of indifference, he’d found himself caring very much for the young prodigy.

And right now, it was that care that Aaron needed, not the righteous anger.

“Thomas,” he said quietly, “you need to calm down.”

“Calm down?” at least he had the wherewithal to lower his voice, “Look at him, James! You know what those bruises mean!”

“ _You_ look at him,” James hissed back, “he is terrified out of his mind! We don’t even know how the hell he _got_ here, or where the hell he was _before!_ What he needs right now is to know that he’s safe.”

The finality of James’ tone made Thomas pause. He looked down at his boyfriend then back at Aaron who was standing in the middle of the hall, peering at them through his one good eye with a worried and tired expression.

Then with a sharp nod, Thomas turned around, marching over to Aaron and kneeling down in front of him. The boy flinched when he reached out to him, only fueling to fires of rage which were consuming him.

“Aaron,” he began as gently as he could, “is it alright if we take a look at you in the bathroom? Make sure you’re okay?”

Aaron didn’t say anything, eyes looking anywhere but at Thomas. He repositioned his suitcase in his hand.

“I panicked,” the boy mumbled, “I shouldn’t have come. I can go.”

As he turned to go back to the door, Thomas reached out and caught his arm. Aaron shouted out in pain and Thomas’ hands were up and away from him in seconds, sending a panicked look back at James. Aaron looked petrified, unsure of whether to run or to stay. James sighed, walking up behind Thomas and kneeling down next to him.

“Aaron, come here.” he opened his arms, speaking gently to the boy.

_COME HERE. STAND RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. YOU MOVE, YOU GET TEN MORE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?_

Aaron’s breathing quickened, twitching away from the two men. Thomas looked as petrified as Aaron did, but James kept his voice calm and level.

“Aaron, we’re not going to hurt you, I promise. Let us just take a look at you, and then after, if you still want, you can leave.”

Jefferson turned instantly to his boyfriend, “We can’t let him-”

James held up a hand, silencing him, and looking back to the boy. Aaron looked like he was contemplating, but after a while, he looked up again, his voice very small.

“I don’t want to go back.”

“Alright then, you don’t have to. You’ll stay right here, with us. But we need to make sure nothing's broken or anything, alright?”

Hesitantly, Aaron nodded, walking slowly towards them again, struggling to carry his suitcase at the same time. When he reached them, Thomas reached out, slower this time, putting his hand on the suitcase with Aaron’s. The boy looked at him, and hesitantly let go, allowing Thomas to carry it as James led them to the bathroom.

When they reached it, Aaron couldn’t believe how big it was and Thomas smiled at the boy’s wonder filled expression.

“And this is only the communal first floor bathroom. You should see my personal one.”

“He’s got a pool in it.” James huffed, motioning for Aaron to sit on the counter.

“It’s not a pool, its a bathtub.”

“It’s huge.”

“Meant for more than one person, Jemmy.” Thomas couldn’t help but bat his eyelashes at his boyfriend over exaggeratedly, grinning when it got a short laugh from Aaron.

“You guys are gross.” his voice was rough and quiet as he spoke, drawing worried looks from both men.

He hauled himself up onto the counter, letting his legs dangle over the side and looking down at his shoes.

“Aaron,” James began as gently as he could, “we’ll need to see under the sweater, is that alright?”

The boy looked panicked, clutching the turtleneck in his hand, as if they’d simply rip it away from him.

“No you don’t. There’s nothing wrong.”

“Aaron,” Thomas crouched down so he was looking up, “We’re not going to touch you, okay? We’re not going to get mad, you’re safe here. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, alright? We just want to know that you’re okay.”

Aaron was silent, staring down at Thomas with fear in his eyes. James looked anxiously from his boyfriend to his prior roommate, unsure of what to do, his hands itching at his sides. Finally, Aaron gave a tiny nod, beginning to slip the sweater over his head.

The higher the boy tugged the sweater, the harder the two men had to fight to keep their faces straight. Bruises littered Aaron’s dark skin, and when he pulled the turtleneck off completely, Thomas and James saw the bruises on his arms in the shape of hands.

“I don’t-” Aaron began, his hands on his knees, fingers tapping out a rhythm, “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I’ve had worse, I can get through it.”

“Get through it? Jesus Aaron, look at this.” Thomas rubbed at his eyes, tired already even though it was only 2:00 in the afternoon.

“I can’t!” Aaron shouted suddenly, taking both men by surprise. He sniffled, “I can’t go there. He’ll be looking…”

“Alright,” James’ voice was soft and gentle, “that’s okay Aaron. We have a first aid kit here. We’ll take care of you, alright? No one is going to get you.”

Aaron looked down at his feet again, kicking them out slightly.

“What if...what if he finds me?”

“I’ll sick Thomas on him,” James answered with a small smile, “he won’t have a chance.”

Aaron looked up at James, allowing himself a small smile as he told Thomas to get the first aid kit. The taller man left obediently, but not before ruffling Aaron’s hair. The boy found himself leaning into the gentle touch, but before he knew it, it was gone, and he coughed gently, pretending it hadn’t happened.

James was looking at him with big worried eyes, his hands hovering over Aaron’s skin and the bruises which painted it.

“No chance of you telling us who he is, huh?”

Aaron turned away, feeling ashamed of his fear. But he couldn’t tell them, he couldn’t risk it. He knew it was silly, but he had the feeling that the moment he said his name, he’d be able to find him. And as foolish as this thought was, Aaron thought it best not to test fate.

“That’s alright, Aaron.” James reassured, ever gentle, “I’m glad you came, no one is going to hurt you again, I promise.”

“I shouldn’t have though, I don’t want to impose.”

“You aren’t,” Thomas said from the doorway, first aid kit in hand, “This is my house, and I’ll decide who’s a freeloader and who isn’t, alright?”

Aaron smiled, nodding slightly as Thomas crouched down, opening the box and emptying it onto the floor. The boy laughed outright at James’ exasperated expression as his boyfriend shook out the contents of the kit.

“It’s actually good you came, Aaron. I was just getting tired of Thomas going on and on about his oh so fantastic house, now he can go on and on to _you_ about it.”

“Hey, that’s right!” Jefferson sounded way too enthused all of a sudden, “we can start with picking out a room for you, of course I’ll have to explain each room's history before you pick, so you have all the facts, and then I’ll take you on a tour of the entire house, the grounds, we even have stables in the back if you’re interested in horse riding. Jemmy here won’t go near them.”

“Horses are unnecessary.”

As the two men bickered playfully, Aaron sighed in relief. He’d run away from his family many times in the past, never staying too long in one place for fear they’d find him. And they did, every time, dragging him back, only for him to try and escape again. He lived in fear of those people, always looking over his shoulder, even when he was at Princeton.

But in the first floor communal bathroom of Monticello, Aaron felt like he was finally able to breath. He knew that as long as he was here he was safe. He felt as though his family would never be able to hurt him again, and if they tried, _well_ ;

They’d have to make it through James and Thomas first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, a lot of this series is just going to be oneshots of Aaron's life at Monticello, which is gonna be awesome to write and hilarious b/c he's now in Virginia but he's a city slicker so watch it Aaron. If you have any prompts or anything you want to see in this story, don't hesitate to comment or message me @ hubris-but-no-writing.tumblr.com and I will make it happen!!!  
> Thank ya'll so much <3


	2. Tour de Monticello

It was well into the afternoon of the next day when Thomas finally allowed Aaron to pick a bedroom of his own. Apparently there were _many_ facts he had to understand before choosing, and some rooms he was outright banned from picking because _‘the wallpaper just wasn’t his season.’_

He decided on a room on the second floor close to Thomas and James’ own room. The walls were white, making the room seem bright and welcoming in the light of the afternoon. The bed was huge, way too big for Aaron, but that was fine, he thought it was great. The bathroom was what really astounded Aaron.

“So do all your bathrooms have swimming pools?”

“Its a bathtub!”

Taking his suitcase back from Thomas, Aaron plopped it on the bed, clicking it open. The two men watched as he unpacked, shocked at the little amount of clothes Aaron had brought with him.

“Is this all you were planning on wearing _all_ summer?” Thomas asked, looking over the boy’s shoulder.

“I had to have room to sneak my laptop out.” the boy explained quietly, pulling out his computer from underneath his clothes, “I’ve run away before, I’ve learned to take only the essentials.”

Thomas and James didn’t pry, knowing that, when Aaron was ready to tell them, he would. Though Thomas did sneer at the clothes which the boy placed on the bed.

“Eurgh. Aaron, we are definitely going shopping tomorrow. Look at these clothes, how do you survive!?”

“I guess I just don’t have your fashion sense, Thomas.” Burr grinned, eyeing the man’s lavender pants and white shirt.

“Damn right.” he muttered, straightening his dress shirt.

The boy laughed, but winced, his smile disappearing with the pain of the bruises. James had applied some cream to the ones on his arms and chest the previous night, and made sure that Aaron had kept either ice or a cold cloth on his eye and the worst of them.

After he was finished hanging up and folding the clothes he had, he changed, opting for a cooler outfit in the summer heat. When he came back downstairs in jeans and a t-shirt, the men couldn’t help but eye the bruises on his arms. Whoever had made them had put so much pressure on his arms that they left hand marks.

Taking a deep, calming breath when he noticed the boy’s self conscious look, James suggested immediately that Thomas give Aaron a tour of Monticello, to which Thomas agreed, if a bit over excitedly.

They went from room to room, starting with the upstairs, Thomas showing off the fantastic architecture of each one and explaining how he had designed it. Aaron had to admit, much to Thomas’ delight, that Monticello was beautiful. Each room was more impressive than the last and Aaron was just about to put his pride aside and compliment the man’s interior decorating skills.

Then he saw it.

The moment that Thomas had said they were going to his room, James had sighed and made a face, so Aaron was _expecting_ some sort of outrageous design, maybe purple wallpaper to match Jefferson’s wardrobe or something of that sort. However, he was not expecting this.

“What...is _that?_ ”

“It’s an alcove bed!” Thomas said excitedly, as James shook his head behind him.

Aaron stood in the middle of Thomas’ bedroom, staring with disbelieving eyes at the bed in front of him. It was situated between the archways which separated Thomas’ bedroom and his study, beautifully covered by a red silk comforter. It looked…

“Are you sure it didn’t just get stuck while you were moving it and now you’re chalking it up as a conscious decision?”

James laughed from behind them and Thomas huffed, folding his arms and pouting.

“I’m unappreciated in my time.”

Aaron approached the bed for closer examination. Having left his shoes in his new bedroom, he was able to hop up on the bed. Ignoring Thomas’ groans of how he’d mess up the sheets, and James’ calls to be careful, he crawled around on top of it.

“How do you not fall off it?” he asked, rolling off the other side and into the second half of the room.

“He does fall off it,” James laughed at Thomas’ glare, “and drags me with him half the time.”

“Don’t act like you don’t love it.”

Aaron made gagging sounds as Thomas kissed James on the cheek. He came back around through the door on the right of the alcove and continued staring at the bed with interest.

“Why?” he asked simply, turning to Thomas.

Thomas sauntered over, putting an arm over the boy’s shoulder, ready to unload his great vault of interior design wisdom on him.

“Ya see kid, when you’re as rich and amazing as I am,” James snorted behind them, “you’re blessed with an innate sense of style.”

“Is that what you call this?”

“Watch it, boyo. See I blew the wall here so I could set up the bed between the bedroom and the study. Call it innovation, creative genius, whatever you want.”

“Can I call it weird?”

“No.” he glared down at the boy, then sighed dramatically, “You’re obviously lacking in this area of sophistication, but we’ll work on that.”

Turning with a flair of his hand, Thomas motioned for Aaron to follow as he sashayed back over to James. The teenager raised his eyebrows at his ex-roommate, who simply shrugged, waving him over.

“He gets like this when he’s showing the house,” James explained, placing a gentle hand on Aaron’s back, leading him after Thomas, “I swear, he’d make a great house wife.”

“Uh, I’d make an _amazing_ house wife, thank you very much.” Jefferson called over his shoulder as the two followed him.

“You should hear him on the phone to his family,” James whispered to Aaron, “he’s a regular southern belle.”

Aaron cracked a smile, looking forward to hearing Thomas with his southern accent. Both men, in fact, always tried to cover it with a more westernized voice, but Aaron hoped he’d get to hear them in their _native tongues_. It’d be hilarious.

“Don’t worry Aaron,” Thomas had stopped, waiting for them to catch up, “when I’m finished with you, it’ll be like you were born and raised in Virginia.”

“I hope not,” Burr replied, “I like New York, thank you very much.”

“Ooo Jemmy, looks like we’ve got ourselves a city boy!” Thomas exclaimed, exaggerating his southern accent, forcing Aaron to snort and giggle.

They continued around the house, Thomas bringing them down the stairs, back into the foyer to begin the tour of the first floor. As they entered the living room, Aaron’s eyes immediately snapped to the three portraits hanging on the wall, the skylight allowing the sun to shine directly on them as if they were-

“-my Holy Trinity.” Thomas exclaimed behind him. “The three greatest men to have ever lived and who will ever live, save for yours truly that is-” a cough from Madison “-and Jemmy’s pretty good too. Aaron, these are-”

“John Locke, philosopher and political theorist. His _Essay Concerning Human Understanding_ began a revolution into the philosophical examination of the mind. He is thought to be the founder of the school of thought also known as British Empiricism and his political views argue for the natural rights and limited government power over citizens.”

“Uh-”

“Sir Francis Bacon, lawyer, statesman, intellectual, philosopher, and scientist. His proposed system of empirical and inductive principles marked a turn in the framework of science, making him, essentially, the father of the scientific method. He wrote _The Proficience and Advancement of Learning_ , one of the most important philosophical works to be published in the English language, arguing for the enlightenment of intellectuals.”

“Wha-”

“Isaac Newton, physicist and mathematician, one of the most influential scientist of all time and a key figure in the scientific revolution. He wrote the _Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica_ , outlining the laws of motion and gravitation, essentially developing calculus. He also ended the controversy concerning the concept of the Heliocentric solar system. The three of them are thought to be the greatest influences of the Enlightenment era.”

Aaron finished his monologue, turning to Thomas with a smile, proud of his knowledge. Thomas and James simply stared at the young boy with wide eyes. There was a reason that Aaron was called the prodigy of Princeton college, and they were just witness to it. Aaron coughed shyly when he caught sight of their startled faces, shifting awkwardly.

“Did I overstep? I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll keep quiet.” he was looking at his feet again.

Thomas’ eyes softened, stepping up beside the boy and ruffling his hair.

“Actually, I’m quite impressed. Most of the heathens I bring in here don’t know the first thing about the Enlightenment, let alone who the holy trinity are.” He put a gentle arm around Aaron reassuringly, “Never apologize for intelligence, Aaron.”

Burr continued looking at the floor but he managed a smile. He’d always been told to talk less, to not act smart or risk another beating. But here he felt like he could be himself. James coughed politely, drawing their attention.

“There’s one last room he forgot to show you.”

* * *

Aaron could only stare in awe at the room before him. Books lined each shelf, manuscripts were propped up on pedestals, some even shut behind glass. He wandered around the circular room, reading each title of every book he could see.

He was amazed at how many rare books there were, some he’d only ever heard of from his theology and law professors.

“This is...wow.” he could only breath a happy sigh as he stared around the room.

Behind him, James nudged Thomas and smiled, the two men watching as the boy flitted from one book case to the next.

“Am I...am I allowed to touch them?”

“You’re allowed to take out any and all books in this room,” Thomas grinned as Aaron bounced on the balls of his feet.

Thomas smiled smugly at James, but it slipped instantly when the boy ran over, reaching around him in a hug. Aaron’s arms couldn’t even reach all the way around, and Thomas’ were in the air, confused at what was going on altogether.

“Thank you.” Aaron’s small voice whispered. James crossed his arm, a fond smile on his face as he watched Thomas gently and awkwardly put his arms around the small boy.

A light cough escaped his lips, gaining their attention and Aaron practically jumped away, a blush creeping up his neck as his eyes went back to his socks.

“How about I make us some lunch?”

* * *

They sat on the patio, Aaron squinting against the Virginian sun as Thomas and James basked in it. New York had always been cold, or at least cool, and Aaron found himself averse to the change.

James had made fancy grilled salmon paninis, which were fantastic by the way, and a salad. It all seemed very domestic, like Aaron’s arrival hadn’t completely shaken their summer. Of course, it hadn’t, but the boy still found it hard to believe how readily they had taken him in.

He supposed his hesitation showed on his face because in a moment, James looked at him with concern.

“Aaron, are you alright?”

“Yes,” he responded hastily, “yes, I’m more than alright.”

“You don’t look it, kid.” Thomas commented, not looking up from the book he was reading.

“I guess it’s just that…well I ruined your summer, didn’t I?”

That got Thomas to look up, confusion written on the faces of both men.

“Why would you think that, Aaron?” James urged.

He shrugged, poking at his salad with the fork. “I guess I’m just used to ruining things.”

The sound of Thomas’ book hitting the glass table made Aaron jump. The man was looking at him over his designer sunglasses with raised eyebrows and the boy felt himself become even smaller under his gaze.

“Listen Aaron,” Thomas started, “I don’t know what kind of shit went down, or where you were before you came to us, and honestly I could care less.”

“ _Thomas-_ ” James hissed.

“What I do know is that, right now, you are in _my_ house and you are _staying_ in this house even if you decide you want to leave. James and I have been trying to get you to spend the summer here since your first year at Princeton, so no, you didn’t ruin anything for us. And don’t play with your food.”

His tone signaled finality and James shrugged, going back to his own food, content with the resolution. Aaron simply stared at the two of them, the picture of domesticity, Thomas with his feet up on another chair, sunglasses up on his face and reading a novel while James silently ate his salad, flipping through his own book, both in bright pastel colors, practically shining in the summer sun.

“Huh.” Aaron picked up his ice tea, sipping it thoughtfully.

Perhaps this summer wouldn’t be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was just a little filler episode for anon Loki who commented, wanting to see Jefferson's super weird room splitting alcove bed. I hope it's what you expected! I hope you all enjoyed it, and I'm so thankful for the response this story has gotten even with only one chapter! I love you all so much, you're too good for me!


	3. Building Bridges

It was Aaron’s first night in Monticello. Well, his first night in his new room in Monticello. His own room. Alone. James and Thomas had gone to “sleep” a few hours earlier, and while he knew they were just down the hall, he was terrified.

Everytime he closed his eyes, he saw _him_. He felt the hands on his arms, the stick against his ribs; heard the Bible verses shouted in his ear. He tossed and turned in his sleep, emitting small cries with each turn, his arms wrapping around his own torso in an attempt to comfort himself.

Finally he shot up, emitting a loud shriek, awoken by a particularly brutal memory. His breathing was hard, sweat dripping down his forehead and his heart beating wildly. His pants felt wet.

Why did his pants feel wet?

“Oh no, oh no no no!” Aaron threw the blankets off and stared in horror at the large wet spot beneath him on the bed.

His breathing hitched. This wasn’t happening, this couldn’t be happening! Not on his first night, not with James and Thomas just down the hall! They’d have heard his scream and would be coming. He needed to hide, he couldn’t let them see him like this.

They’d get mad, throw him out, beat him! He needed to hide.

Rolling off the bed, his feet thumped against the carpeted floor as he raced from the room, taking off down the hallway, down the stairs and into the house proper. His mind raced on where he should hide, somewhere they’d never find him.

Then it hit him. He ran towards the kitchen.

* * *

James snapped awake the moment he heard the scream. He was out of bed a moment later. Thomas groaned, rolling around to face James.

“Wazzat?” he mumbled, groping for James.

“It’s Aaron, something’s wrong.”

At those words, Thomas was beside James the next second, pulling on his pants hurriedly.

“What did you hear?”

“A scream, from his bedroom.”

“Probably just nightmares.” Thomas said, but made no move to get back into the bed, rather, following James out of the bedroom.

The two walked down the hall towards Aaron’s bedroom, James practically racing towards it as Thomas followed steadily behind. When they reached the room, they found the door open and no Aaron inside.

“He’s not here, Thomas.” James’ voice was panicked.

Jefferson looked around the room calmly, shifting the sheets up over the mattress and fighting back a sneer at the stain on the bed.

“I think I know why.”

James turned to look at him questioningly, and Thomas gestured to the mattress. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Life wasn’t about to get easier for any of them. The two men had literally no idea how to deal with a frightened teenager, especially not one who had been so obviously abused and traumatized.

“We should probably find him, and get rid of...this.” James nodded to the mattress.

“I’ll bring in one of the extra ones from the basement. It’ll just need to be aired out tomorrow. We can burn this thing.” Thomas looked disgustedly at the bed. He’d need to get new sheets too.

“It’s not his fault.” James said softly, almost chiding Thomas who resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“I know, I know. Let’s just find the little shit before he pees on anything else.”

“Thomas.” James hissed, his face contorting into fury and Jefferson sighed.

“I’m sorry, it’s late. Honestly, I didn’t think we’d ever have to deal with having kids unless, you know, we wanted kids.”

James’ face softened.

“Well this is as good practice as any.”

“You’re right about that, Jemmy. Now let’s go find our kid.”

They left Aaron’s room, walking down the darkened hallway, James leading and Thomas following behind.

“You know,” the taller man commented, “he does kinda have your eyes.”

James scoffed, “Yeah, and your attitude.”

“Why Jemmy!” Thomas put one hand on his heart and the other on his forehead, “why such hostility!? I thought we were lovers!”

“We _are_ lovers, you great walnut.”

“Rude.”

Once they had reached the bottom of the stairs, they were at a loss about where to look for the boy, so they began to call his name throughout the house. Their voices were loud, pleading for Aaron to come out, that everything was okay, he didn’t have to be afraid.

Easy for them to say.

Tucked into one of the cabinets of the kitchen, below the sink, Aaron sat, legs pulled tightly up to his chest, not really helping the bruises which covered his body, on the contrary, aggravating them rather badly.

He was afraid, very, very afraid, even though a rational part of him kept telling him that this was not his house in New Jersey, he was in Virginia, with James and Thomas, who would never dream of beating him in a thousand years, who were filled with such rage at the sight of his battered body.

But that rational part was small, overtaken by the mindless panic he still felt. Aaron’s hands covered his ears, trying to block out the yelling of the two men, his foot tapped quietly against the wood of the cabinet, and soft whimpers escaped his lips.

Eventually he heard the footsteps of the men come closer to his hiding spot and he slapped his hands over his mouth, trying to quiet his breathing so he wouldn’t be heard. He was coming, he had the strap, he’d find Aaron. A sob escaped his lips and he was quick to silence himself again. But it wasn’t enough, they had heard him.

His heart leapt into his throat as the cabinet door was pulled open, revealing a very concerned James and a bewildered Thomas.

“Aaron,” James’ voice was relieved, desperate even, “what are you doing in there?”

“More importantly, how the hell do you fit in there?”

_“Thomas.”_

Aaron swallowed, his mouth dry as he looked between them. He’d disappointed them, he hadn’t been strong enough, he deserved a beating.

“I...I wet the bed.” he whispered and he hated how his voice quivered, “You can hit me if you want.”

That took them completely by surprise.

“Aaron.” James’ voice was hard, stern, and Aaron knew what was coming, “How could you think we would want that?”

Okay, maybe he didn’t know what was coming. He looked up at James questioningly.

“They always hit me….when I do something wrong. I thought-”

“Well you thought wrong.” Thomas was kneeling next to James, beckoning Aaron forward. Aaron complied, as this was his house and Aaron was living under his roof.

He didn’t expect the strong arms to wrap around him so gently, petting his hair. Thomas’ chest rumbled as he spoke.

“We will never hit you Aaron. Never. I promise. No one will ever hurt you. You never have to be afraid again, do you understand?”

“No.” Aaron couldn’t help but whisper, leaning into the man’s touch as James stroked his back in soft, soothing circles.

“That’s alright,” Thomas reassured him, “you will.”

They stayed like that for a while, Aaron leaning into Thomas’ hug, the first gentle contact he’d had in what felt like years. He closed his eyes, banishing the harsh thoughts and brutal memories and replacing them with memories of James and Thomas. They were the only family he needed.

“And hey,” Thomas continued, speaking gently and Aaron’s ears perked up, “you can pee on as much furniture as you want.”

And Aaron laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i know this one's a bit shorter, but it's a filler chapter, it is the bridge into the rest of the chapters I will write. I'm making a list of prompts you guys want me to do, so if you have anything you want to see, just hit me up and I'll do my best to make it happen. I hope you like this chapter though, even though it's shorter. :D


	4. No Rest for the Wicked

“I should have never shown him that library.”

Thomas and James sat together on the couch, Jefferson flipping through his phone with James’ head in his lap. The shorter man looked up at his boyfriend.

“Why’s that?”

“The kid’s in there every damn day from morning till night! It’s not healthy! He should be, I don’t know, playing video games or going out with girls, or binge watching Avatar the Last Airbender or some shit. I gave him the Netflix password.”

James’ eyebrow went up and he smiled.

“Are you saying that because _you_ want to binge watch Avatar the Last Airbender?”

“...yes.”

James laughed, nuzzling his cheek into his boyfriend’s leg as Thomas ran a hand through his hair.

“I’m sure he’ll read himself out eventually. What’s the worst that could happen?”

* * *

Three Days

Aaron had been inside the library for three days, not even coming out to sleep in his own bedroom. Thomas wasn’t even sure that he _was_ sleeping, probably just taping his eyes open or something. He wouldn’t put it past the kid.

Finally he had had enough, storming into the library one afternoon with every intention of dragging the boy out by the ankle and throwing him in front of an episode of Law and Order and leaving him there. Only, when he found the kid, he sighed, and all thoughts of aggressive exile were lost.

Laying in one of the large armchair in the corner of the room was Aaron, a book half the size Aaron himself, open on his chest. The kid was fast asleep, curled up tightly, barely even taking up any room on the chair.

Thomas couldn’t help but smile as he watched the boy’s chest rise and fall steadily. This was as soundly as he’d seen him sleep since he arrived, having been plagued by nightmares nearly every night. He ran a hand through his tangle of curls, wishing he could find the fucker who did this to his kid and give him exactly what he deserved.

But Aaron was priority, as James so often reminded him when he started getting angry. It was hard not to whenever the boy’s bruises were visible. There were just so many of them.

Bending down, Thomas took the book off of Aaron’s legs, setting it on the table. He put his arms underneath the boy, lifting him into his arms and carrying him out of the room. Even at 16, he was small. Thomas wondered if it would affect his health in anyway and resolved to look into that.

He saw James coming down the hallway and grinned at his surprised face.

“Kid read himself out, just like you said, Jemmy.”

James’ face softened and he smiled smugly at Thomas.

“Told you.”

“Yeah, yeah, Jemmy knows best. Yo, could you be a lamb and pick out something to watch? I need to kick back.”

“That’s all you do, Thomas,” James said, but smiled anyway, “you don’t have a job.”

“It’s called old money, James, and I have it. I’ll put the champ to bed first.”

“Alright, but don’t keep me waiting.”

“I never do.”

Skipping up the stairs, Thomas held Aaron tightly, doing his best not to jostle him awake. He didn’t want to ruin his first sound sleep in days. Aaron turned as he slept, mumbling something under his breath and burying his face in Thomas’ chest.

_Damn_

He knew that if he called the boy cute in public he’d get a tiny earful, but that didn’t stop him from thinking it. He had never been this small at 16, he’d always been tall and burly, as he thought all 16 year olds were. But Aaron was something else.

Finally, they reached his room and Jefferson kicked open the door softly, stepping inside and walking up to the foot of the bed. He moved the blankets and set Aaron down as gently as he could, covering him back up with the comforter.

A soft snore came from the boy as he rolled himself up burrito style in the blankets. Thomas threw up his hands, spinning on his heel and marching out the door. Nope, he couldn’t take anymore of this adorable child. He was a strong and independent man! And if he stayed in that room one more second he was going to melt into a pile of easily manipulated goo.

Pausing at the door, he threw one last look over his shoulder and smiled, clicking off the lights.

* * *

Aaron woke up to the sound of knocking. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, realizing he was back in his own room. He didn’t remember leaving the library, or getting into bed for that matter. He sat up, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

He’d actually been able to sleep, he thought, that had been his first nightmare-less sleep in about a month, probably longer. He’d never tell Thomas or James that, of course, they’d probably flip out and hover like they had his first week in the house. But all the same, he knew he was getting better.

The knock came again.

“Come in.” he called blearily, rubbing at his tired eyes.

The door creaked open and the silhouette of James Madison entered the room. He didn’t bother turning on the lights, only came and sat down on the bed next to Aaron. The boy could tell he wasn’t just there to see if he was awake.

“So.” the older man began, not looking at Aaron.

“So.” Aaron replied, not looking at James.

“You were in that library for three days, Aaron. You didn’t come out to eat or sleep, Thomas was incredibly worried.”

Aaron snorted at that. Thomas was never worried about anything, least of all about Aaron. But James didn’t join in his laughter, instead slowly turning to face him. Even in the darkness of the room, Aaron could see that he was deadly serious. The boy lowered his head.

“Is there anything you want to talk about, Aaron?”

“No.”

James sighed, “Is there anything you _need_ to talk about?”

“No.”

“Aaron,” James shifted turning to fully face Aaron in the bed. Aaron clutched at the comforter, “I’m not going to force you to tell me anything, you know that. But you can’t just lock yourself away in the library for days and stop sleeping.”

“I sleep! See! I was asleep right before you came in! I sleep plenty!”

James gave Aaron a disbelieving look before he continued.

“Thomas found you asleep in the library, Aaron. He brought you up here to sleep on an actual bed. What you’re doing isn’t good for you, Aaron. You’re smart, you know that.”

Aaron fidgeted with the covers, looking all around the room, trying to figure out how to word his problems.

“If I don’t sleep, I don’t have nightmares. So I read. May as well expand my mind while I slowly deteriorate, right?”

“ _Aaron-_ ”

“I just- I can’t sleep, I can’t! I can’t handle the nightmares, I’m not strong enough!”

“It has nothing to do with strength, Aaron.” James said slowly, calmly, “You can be the strongest person in the world but that doesn’t mean you can’t suffer. What’s gonna help you is patience, and trust. You aren’t going to just get over this, Aaron, no way. It’s going to take time, and a lot more time if you keep trying to do it on your own.”

Aaron didn’t look up at him and James didn’t mind. He got up from the bed slowly, running a hand over Aaron’s head gently. The boy leaned into the touch.

“Thomas and I are downstairs about to start an Avatar the Last Airbender marathon, if you wanted to join us.”

He left the invitation hanging, quietly leaving the room, giving Aaron the space to think about what he’d said. He was right of course, and he did trust James and Thomas. It was still difficult for him though.

But what James had said about patience, that this wasn’t going to go away just like that, made him feel better. More confident that it would be okay, just...eventually.

Pushing back the covers, he got out of bed, noticing he was still in his normal clothes. So, with a quick wardrobe change into his pajamas, he crept downstairs. He found the two men in sitting in the living room, sitting on the large couch in front of the television.

“Aaron!” Thomas grinned, patting the space beside him, “So glad you could join us!”

“Thanks,” Aaron’s voice was small as he sat down between James and Thomas, “for bringing me upstairs.”

“Not a problem, you know, I like you a whole lot better when you’re asleep. Less loud and a hell of a lot more adorable.”

Aaron fought against the blush that crept up his neck as he glared at Thomas, and then at James who was laughing.

“Let’s just start this thing.” he huffed, crossing his arms and sitting back.

“With pleasure.”

* * *

The morning found the three asleep on the couch, Thomas leaning against the armrest, Aaron on asleep against his side, and James against the other armrest. Sunlight streamed in, the beginning of another day in the Jefferson household, and another day closer to recovery. A recovery which was well deserved.

By all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D Aaron needs more sleep, honestly they all do. *I binge watched AtLA last summer it was amazing! And yes, Aaron is an adorable sleeper* Thank you so much for all your reviews, I love to hear what ya'll think! Also keep hittin' me with prompts, I love 'em!


	5. Someone Under Stress Meets Someone Lookin' Pretty

“This is stupid!”

“You’ve been wearing the same underwear for a week now!”

“I have not! I washed them!”

“Just get in the car, kid.”

Aaron huffed, scrambling into the backseat of Thomas’ car, a black porsche which he had been warned not to get dirty lest he wanted to pay for an entirely new one, as the older man got behind the wheel. James chuckled at Aaron’s sullen expression as he took shotgun.

It had all happened rather suddenly when Aaron came down for breakfast that morning. Admittedly, he hadn’t brought many clothes with him in his hurry to get as far away from home as possible, but he didn’t think Thomas would be so forceful. He’d come down from his room wearing the same burgundy sweater he’d arrived in and a pair of jeans.

He felt Thomas’ eyes on him as he moved about the kitchen, rolling up the sleeves of his sweater, already warm in the morning sun. As he put bread in the toaster, Thomas’ eyes didn’t leave him and Aaron sighed, turning around with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s up?”

“You’ve already worn that sweater.” Thomas murmured, eyeing the rolled up sleeves with distaste.

“Yeah, I said, I didn’t bring a lot of clothes-”

“And obviously you weren’t prepared for the weather either.” James entered the kitchen with a cup of coffee, “Did you bring any shorts?”

Aaron was quiet, knowing that at some point he needed to get more clothes, but not willing to admit it in front of the two men. He needed to act mature, like he knew what he was doing. Even though that was the farthest thing from the truth.

He was saved from having a choice at all when Thomas said with finality,

“We’ll go to the mall today, buy you a new wardrobe.”

And that was how, even after much whining and complaining, Aaron sat in Thomas’ expensive car, watching the estate of Monticello disappear behind them as they drove.

“I don’t have any money.” Aaron said finally, in a last ditch attempt to impede the outing.

“I know.”

“I can’t ask  you to-”

“Then don’t ask. Like it or not, kid, we’re getting you new clothes.”

Aaron huffed again, sitting back against the seat as James smiled at him through the rearview mirror.

The mall wasn’t too far away, and they pulled into the parking lot easily. Thomas and James got out, waiting for Aaron, who was more slow and hesitant, not because of the shopping so much. No, it just seemed that there were a lot of people around, and until that moment, Aaron had been safe with only Thomas and James in Monticello.

But now, now he was to be placed back among people, people he didn’t know and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit apprehensive. But through the window, he saw Thomas and James waiting patiently for him. He took a deep breath, opening the door and stepping out, walking beside them.

“Now we’ll be needing to get you some suits,” Thomas drawled, waving his hand casually, “but I’ll have my tailor make a house call. Today is all about casual chic.”

“I have no idea what you just said.”

“James,” the other man hummed, looking at Thomas as they walked through the parking lot towards the mall, “we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

* * *

Thomas led them from store to store, and in each one he made Aaron try on new clothes, shorts, button ups, polo shirts, new shoes, jeans, anything Thomas saw that was remotely fashionable, he threw at Aaron, sending him straight to the changing room.

“Nope.”

“Nuh uh.”

“It’s not winter Aaron, you don’t need more sweaters.”

“Try on that other one. No, the green one.”

And that was how it went, Aaron putting on a regular fashion show for the two men as they criticized each outfit. Most of the clothes Thomas picked out were light, pastels, light blues, and summer colors. Aaron grabbed a few articles of clothing himself, beaming to himself whenever Thomas nodded, approving his fashion choices.

He began to fidget when he noticed two girls giggling as they watched him come out in a pair of jeans, and a navy tank top. A blush crept up his neck as they whispered to each other, batting their eyelashes at him flirtatiously. He looked down at his shoes.

“Looks good kid, we’ll get this one too.”

“Which part?” Aaron asked, pulling at the shirt.

“The whole outfit,” Thomas answered, standing and flipping through his phone, “c’mon, get changed and I’ll pay up front.”

Aaron nodded, sparing the girls one last glance before going back into the change room. James watched the young man, turning his head slightly to see where he was looking, and grinned, nudging Thomas with his elbow.

“Hm?”

James nodded towards the girls, still giggling and watching the change room where Aaron currently was. Thomas looked back and forth between the stall and the girls before smiling widely and wiggling his eyebrows at James.

Aaron came back out, holding the clothes in his arms and shuffling towards the men with his head down. Thomas took them from him, leading the way to the cash register. He purposefully led them past the two girls and flashed them his best smile.

“Ladies.”

Cue more giggling and a furiously blushing Burr.

When he finished paying, Thomas nudged him, handing him a $100 and telling him they’d meet him at the entrance in a half hour.

“I can’t spend a hundred dollars!” Aaron nearly shouted, trying to hide the money.

Thomas only patted his head, leading James, who wore an exasperated look, out of the store, mentioning something about needing to get his watch fixed. So Aaron huffed, stuffing the money in his pocket wandering out after them.

How the hell would he spend $100!? He barely spent $5! On anything! He tapped his foot anxiously on the tiled floor. Where did normal young people go to spend their money?

* * *

Somehow he found himself buying an expensive but amazing lego set, rekindling his old childhood love of building the sets. When he reached the counter, he fished around in his pocket for the money Thomas had given him.

“Hi! How’s your day going?”

Aaron looked up, his eyes falling on a tall boy in a uniform, maybe a year older than himself, with chestnut hair and sparkling brown eyes. He smiled down at Aaron with genuine glee and Aaron could only gape at him, feeling a blush creep up his neck.

“Uhhh…i have money.”

He mentally kicked himself, staring straight down at his shoes as the boy laughed heartily. When he calmed down, he grinned at Aaron, scanning the box and typing something into the computer.

“You’re alright,” he said approvingly, “My names Jonathan. Jonathan Bellamy. What’s yours?”

“Aaron Burr.” he mumbled so low Jonathan could barely hear him.

“Huh, I haven’t seen you around here, and trust me, I’ve seen everyone! So where ya from?”

“New York,” Aaron coughed, attempting to gain some emotional footing, “I’m staying with my, uh, guardians.”

“New York? Really?” Jonathan sounded star struck as he stared at Burr, “Wow, I’ve never been there. Is it as great as everyone says it is?”

“Better.” Aaron felt pride for his city and it showed.

Jonathan laughed, telling Aaron the price as the other boy handed over the money; Aaron found himself enjoying Bellamy’s company immensely. When he was finished paying, Aaron took the bag and was about to say his goodbyes when Jonathan leaned over the counter, smiling wide.

“So how old are you?”

“16.”

“Oh awesome, I’m 17, going into my last year of highschool next year! Where do you go to school.”

“Oh uh,” Aaron blushed, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly, “I uh, actually graduated Princeton a month ago.”

Bellamy stared at him, stunned. “Like- like the university Princeton?”

Aaron nodded, feeling as though he may have messed it all up. But to his surprise, Jonathan smiled.

“Holy shit, that’s amazing, I-”

“Aaron!”

The sound of James’ voice from outside the store made Aaron’s head whip over. He stood with Thomas, who was sending him a knowing smirk, and waved him over. Aaron coughed, turning back to Jonathan.

“Those are my, uh-”

“Guardians?” the boy laughed, but it wasn’t a mean laugh, “No problem. I guess you gotta go, huh?”

When Aaron nodded, Jonathan bent down, taking a piece of paper out from under the cash register. He wrote something down on it quickly, and Aaron noticed the faint blush on the boy’s cheeks, before the paper was shoved into his hands.

“Here’s my number.” Jonathan looked anywhere but at Aaron, his blush only growing deeper, “Gimme a call sometime, maybe you can get me into Princeton.”

Aaron smiled at the boy’s awkward laugh, and nodded.

“Sure.”

He met James and Thomas outside the store and didn’t say a word as they left the mall, bags of clothing in hand and Jonathan’s number in his pocket.

“So,” Thomas began, starting the car, “who was that you were talking to?”

“No one.” Aaron blushed, turning towards the window, avoiding the smiling gazes of both men.

“Uh huh, sure kid. We’re gonna find out eventually.”

As they drove home, Aaron slowly took the number out of his pocket, grinning at the numbers written there. Maybe things really were starting to turn around for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lolol tiny Bellamy! :D


	6. Home's Been Awful; Here's Been Awful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look it's me! *hides behind wall as y'all throw rocks at me* Sorry I haven't been updating as much as I should, but I'mma try and get back into the groove now, Anne's new groove! :D

“Can’t you just give me a goddamn second to explain-”

“There’s nothing to explain, Thomas! You made everything perfectly clear-”

“James just shut up a minute okay!? I’m trying to-”

“I don’t want to hear it!”

“Nothing happened! Why don’t you ever listen-!?”

**_“Just drop it, alright!?”_ **

James’ shout rang through the house, stilling Thomas whose hands were clenched at his side, a scowl on his face. Both men were breathing hard, glaring at each other, fury evident in their eyes. 

And Aaron?

Aaron was listening in on the argument from behind the living room wall. He’d been playing a video game Thomas had suggested to him when the man in question had come barreling down the stairs, yelling at him to **_turn that racket down!_ ** Aaron had jumped from his spot on the couch, his chest tightening at the raised voice as he scrambled to turned the game off.

And then he’d stood, frozen beside the television, eyes locked on Thomas’ as the taller man seemed to come to his senses.

“Aaron,” he started gently, “I’m-”

“Don’t you dare take this out on him, Thomas!”

James marched down the stairs after Jefferson, a hard glare on his face as he rounded on his boyfriend. Thomas’ face went from calm to stormy as he rolled his eyes.

“I’m not taking anything out on anyone! God, can’t you mind your own fucking business for once!?”

As the argument escalated, Aaron found himself realizing that this had nothing to do with him. Actually, they’d veered away from any mention of him at all, choosing instead to scream at each other in the foyer. Not that that made it any better of course. 

He wanted to move, to go somewhere where he couldn’t hear them, ignore it all. But he couldn’t, he only listened, frozen to the spot, frowning at the raised voices and trying to calm his erratic breathing. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be…

Was it?

Finally there was silence and Aaron heard the tapping of shoes on the floor heading in opposite directions, Thomas up the stairs and James in the direction of one of the lower level guest rooms. Even with both men gone and away from each other, the tension in the house could be cut with a knife.

And Aaron hated it.

If this was what relationships were like, Aaron wanted no part of it. He’d come to Monticello to escape just that. James and Thomas were always so perfect together, and he wanted to be in the vicinity of a healthy relationship! Disappointment rushed through him. Was he doomed? Was there no escaping the yelling, the fighting, the hatred!?

Weren’t you supposed to be in a relationship because you were in love?

People in love weren’t supposed to fight!

Aaron sighed, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. He’d have to ask Jonathan about it; Aaron was far too new to this kind of thing. In any case, he had come to the two men seeking an escape from all the anger and anxiety.

And by God he was not going through it all again!

Setting his mouth into a determined scowl, Aaron got up from where he was crouched, and began to pace. He knew that whatever it was they were fighting about, Thomas would be too proud to apologise and James, well it had sounded like James had been really mad, so he doubted either of them were going to fix it themselves.

This was ridiculous, adults were ridiculous. He sighed, peeking around the living room wall to make sure they were gone before exiting. 

Well, if they weren’t going to do anything about it, he would. 

He silently crept through the foyer, thinking all the way of what he could do to make the two of them shut up, sit down, and have a proper conversation. Just then was when his stomach chose to remind him that it was well past lunch and leading into the evening. 

His eyes went to the kitchen and he hummed thoughtfully. Entering the spotless room, he wandered over to where Thomas kept the cook books, huge and intimidating on the shelf by the wall.

He read the titles on the spines, his face set in a determined frown. Finally, his eyes landed on one that looked promising, one outlining the most romantic of dinner recipes. Aaron snorted as he stood on the tips of his toes. Trust Thomas to have a cookbook for romantic dinners.

Reaching up, Aaron struggled to lift the huge book off the shelf but eventually got it down, practically dragging it over to the counter by the stove. He flipped through the pages, rolling his eyes at the pictures of smiling couples and romantic candles.

But if this was what it would take to get Thomas and James to reconcile whatever they were fighting about, so be it. He turned to a page outlining how to make a pretty looking pasta dish involving white wine and a whole lot of lemons. 

With a hum and a quick nod, Aaron rolled up his sleeves and cracked his knuckles.

“Now then,” Aaron said with a smile, “how hard can this be?”

* * *

Apparently very hard, if Aaron’s singed eyebrows and the wailing smoke detector was anything to go on.

The 16 year old stood in the middle of the kitchen as the sprinklers went off and sighed, staring at the charcoal remnants of the food. Well, that was that plan down the toilet.

Putting on the oven mitts again, Aaron took the pan from the stove and was just walking to the garbage to throw it out when both Thomas and James came rushing into the kitchen, panic in their eyes. Aaron stared back, frozen.

“Uhhh-”

“Aaron, what happened?” James asked almost desperately, sniffing the air in the kitchen and scrunching up his face when he smelt the burning, “Are you alright?”

Aaron coughed awkwardly, shuffling with a scowl on his face. How was he going to explain this without sounding like a complete idiot?

“What happened to your eyebrows?” Thomas asked, his own eyebrow raised in confusion.

James rounded on him, a glare on his face and Thomas stepped back, surprised before his own glare formed, directed at James.

“What the hell is your problem!? What kind of question is that!?”

“Well I don’t know what he was doing-”

“You’re so arrogant!” 

“Screw you, I don’t need your-”

“ _ STOP IT! _ ”

Thomas and James both froze, blinking up at one another before turning to where Aaron stood, his face set in a cold glare of his own, gripping the pan tightly and unshed tears of frustration in his eyes.

“ _ YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE PERFECT! _ ” he shouted, beginning to shake slightly in anger, “ _ YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO FIGHT! THAT’S WHY I CAME HERE, TO GET AWAY FROM ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HATED EACH OTHER! _ ”

He paused, his breath hitching slightly in his throat. James and Thomas didn’t say a word, only stared at him with wide eyes. Aaron shut his eyes, breathing deeply, before opening them again, his face going from rage to emotionless in a second.

“I won’t go through that again. If you guys can’t work it out, that’s fine, but I’m not staying to listen to this crap.”

The pan clattered to the floor as Aaron dropped it, ripping off the oven mitts and throwing them on the counter. He didn’t even spare the two men a second glance as he shoved passed them, and out of the kitchen. 

The two men by the door watched him go, silent and altogether unsure of what to say as Aaron fled up the stairs to his room. James straightened, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“Shit.” he said.

“Yeah,” Thomas agreed, “I really messed this up, huh?”

“It’s not just you Thomas,” James sighed, looking up at his boyfriend for the first time that day with something that wasn’t anger, “It takes more than one person to make a relationship. I’m just as at fault here.”

Thomas hummed, looking back into the kitchen, his eyes falling on the burnt pan on the floor and the still smoking remains therein. He sneered slightly.

“What’dyou think he was doing?”

James stepped into the room, walking over to where Aaron had left the cook book, open on the page with the recipe.

“I think he was trying to cook.”

“Why? He knows if he’s hungry just to come to... _ us _ .” Thomas sighed. The kid was too damn scared to go to them.

“I don’t think it was for him, Thomas.”

With a questioning gaze, the taller man entered the kitchen, joining his boyfriend and looking over his shoulder at the cookbook. A small smile crept up his face when he saw the title.

“The kid was trying to make us dinner.”

“To get us to stop fighting,” James sighed again, running a hand through his hair, “we should go talk to him.”

“I think  _ we  _ should talk first.” Thomas said, walking over to the kitchen table and pulling out a chair, waiting for James to join him.

And James did join him. 

And they talked.

* * *

It was well into the evening when James and Thomas finally went upstairs to talk to Aaron. The boy was sitting on the bed, his suitcase on the floor, open with clothes hanging out of it. But he wasn’t packing, at least, not anymore. Now he just looked frustrated as he stared up at the ceiling.

Thomas came in and sat on the left side of the bed while James sat on the right. Aaron looked at them for a moment before looking back up at the ceiling. 

“Aaron, listen,” James began, “we didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. We should have taken into account how you felt-”

“It doesn’t matter how I feel,” the boy mumbled, “I shouldn’t be the one stopping you from fighting.”

“You’re right,” Thomas agreed, looking over at James with a small smile, “yelling doesn’t solve anything in a relationship. So we talked, we figured it out.”

Aaron only hummed in response, but he looked less upset than he was before. James finally noticed the half packed suitcase on the ground and raised an eyebrow at Aaron.

“Were you planning on going somewhere?”

“I was mad,” Aaron smiled a little, his eyes crinkling as he did,

“Were you mad about the smoking abomination you created in the kitchen?” Thomas chuckled and even James laughed at that, “Kid, we have got to get you cooking lessons.”

Aaron smiled fully now, batting at Thomas lightly. 

“Well, since the kitchen smells like fire and decay,” the tall man said with a snort, “how about we go out to eat. My treat.”

“It’s always your treat, Thomas.” James grinned, “As you keep reminding us, you’re the one with the old money.”

“Damn right.” Thomas leaned over, setting a kiss on James’ cheek. Madison laughed, nudging his boyfriend playfully as the two got up, heading out of the room.

Aaron followed them, and as he would have normally been disturbed by the public displays of affection, he found himself not really minding it. At least, not at the moment.

Maybe not every relationship had to be bad, he thought to himself, and he kept that thought in his mind for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very much how I felt when I was younger, and still do. Having parents in a struggling relationship really put a strain on me, and I know that they love me, but that doesn't make it any better when they start screaming at each other. It used to really put me in one frame of mind with relationships, that they're all like that. But trust me when I say they're not. Sure there'll be disagreements, but if you find someone who loves you, those arguments won't last very long.  
> So yeah, that's my wisdom for the moment. I promise I'll try and be more on time with updates.  
> :D <3 I love you all!!!!


	7. AUTHORS NOTE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS AN AUTHORS NOTE

Okay, so I've been getting asks about whether or not I'm going to continue this story and i wanted to put this out there. 

I’ve put it on hiatus for the foreseeable future because at the moment, I am uncomfortable with writing a young Aaron. While writing it I often got asks which asked me to write more of  a certain scenario which I had originally written into the story to show as a product of Aaron’s abuse ((bed wetting))  

Getting asks to write more of that particular scenario just bc people wanted to see more of Aaron wetting himself rather than have it in the story to represent what his abuse has done to him, just kind of made me uncomfortable with writing a young Aaron. I’m not sure about the future, but right now, I am not continuing with this story. At least, not until I feel comfortable doing so again.

I _am_ really sorry to those who have been waiting for an update, but this is how I feel and I don’t want to write something I don’t feel comfortable writing. I know you will all respect that. And again, I _**am** _ sorry.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any prompts or anything you want to see in this story, don't hesitate to comment or message me @hamilanne  
> and I will make it happen!!!  
> Thank ya'll so much <3


End file.
